Influencers Rush To Defend Drake & Song of the Day

What’s poppin y’all,

We do have a Song of the Day today. While working on a script that, let’s just say, features Azealia Banks in one form or another—particularly a beef she has with a now-popular artist—I decided to revisit her music.

I had listened to "212" when it first dropped and enjoyed it, but I never really explored her catalog beyond that. So, I checked out her last full album, Slay-Z (2017). She had a remix album with a DJ in 2021, but that one didn’t interest me. I didn’t go through the entire nine-track album, but I sampled a few songs, including the most popular one, "The Big Big Beat." It was decent, but the standout for me—and today's Song of the Day—is "Queen of Clubs."

It’s fire. Surprisingly, Azealia Banks is still talented. I always knew she had skill, but I assumed it had faded after 2014 when she was more known for beefing than music. She hasn’t dropped in years and still seems to be at war with everyone under the sun, but this track is solid.

The Aftermath of Kendrick’s Performance & Drake's Defenders

Beyond that, there isn’t much new today—except for the fallout from Drake fans and influencers reacting to Kendrick Lamar’s performance. It’s not just Drake Stans, but influencers in general, each jousting for positioning with the audience they believe they need to cater to.

For example, Pokimane came out and said, “The only people that didn’t understand Kendrick’s performance were white.” That’s easily one of the dumbest takes I’ve seen. Anyone actually plugged into hip-hop knows that reactions came from all demographics—Black, Hispanic, White—some loving it, some not. This was just a lazy attempt at culture signaling from someone who doesn’t really follow hip-hop.

Then we have people like Sneako and PlaqueboyMax jumping in. PlaqueboyMax, in particular, claimed that Kendrick focused too much on Drake in the performance, when he clearly didn’t. That moment just stood out because of its impact, but the full performance was much broader. It’s already one of the most-watched Super Bowl performances on YouTube, surpassing Usher’s, which was considered legendary.

The reality is that Drake strategically builds relationships with these influencers, whether it’s Sneako, PlaqueboyMax, or others, and it pays off. Give them a little attention, and suddenly they’re out here defending him. Now, I don’t think Kendrick was ever at the top of PlaqueboyMax’s radar—his taste leans more underground, and he’s always been a Drake fan. But to outright misinterpret the performance is just another example of how powerful relationship-building can be. And that’s something Drake has mastered for a long time.

More soon.

– HY

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